On a trip to Seattle for an Alaska cruise I was able to take a detour a hour south to Chambers Bay. I had heard that the 2015 US Open was going to be held their a year later and was very excited to get a chance to test it out before the pros. The course was built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and I bet no one could have imagined it would hold a major championship not even 10 years after the first round was played.
A perfect clear summer day in the Northwest, my wife walking beside me, no other golfers in sight, and playing an incredible golf course made my round at Chambers Bay one of my most memorable. The property was an old gravel quarry and plays as close to a true links course as you can get in the US.
Chambers Bay is a walking paradise and carts are not allowed unless a medical condition allows. One cut of grass greets you from the tee box to the hole but as seen on tv if you miss the fairway the rough will set you back multiple strokes.
It’s really difficult to name a favorite hole but my favorite is the par 4 10th appropriately names ‘High Dunes’. The greatness of this hole starts off with a decision while on the tee box. How far your willing to attack this hole with your first shot because the Dunes become narrow as they approach the green. While your standing between these massive dunes your second shot will need to be one of your best of the day.
In my opinion Chambers Bay is one of the best courses I’ve ever played. When Jordan Spieth held up that US Open trophy I felt like Chambers Bay presented a tough test for the best golfers in the world. I was disappointed hearing some of the reviews from that week but also glad they are addressing the greens as I write this review.
Also an added bonus is there are plans to build a hotel on the property that will benefit overnight golfers. With the same management team that runs Bandon Dunes you can only imagine that Chambers Bay will continue to be a top destination for any golfer looking to travel to the Northwest. I promise you won’t regret a round at Chambers Bay if your nearby and don’t pass up the opportunity based on what you saw on a television screen.

Much like the beloved links courses of Scotland and Ireland, Chambers Bay allows for creative shot making—particularly along the ground. Many holes invite players to choose among various routes from tee to green. Risk/reward opportunities abound, though wide fairways welcome all golfers to swing away. You can play more options at Chambers Bay than at the Chicago Futures Market.

Details

Holes

18

Par

72

Built

2007

Type

Links Course

Architect

Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

Robert Trent Jones II designed the course at Chambers Bay on Washington's Puget Sound. The area, forty miles outside Seattle, was once inhabited by the Steilacoom Indian tribe, and has in the interim been put to such uses as a pulp mill and a match factory, but is now owned by Pierce county. Jones' aim was to erase the site's industrial past and to approximate the feel of English links courses, so he incorporated towering sand dunes and pot bunkers and built over a third of the holes close to the waterline. The course is expansive at nearly 6900 meters, and the views out over the bay are correspondingly majestic. The atmosphere is peaceful, punctuated only by the cries of seabirds and the clack of a train passing by. Chambers Bay has established quite a name for itself, hosting the US Amateur Championship in 2010 and the US Open in 2015.

Community

Member

Follower

Golfers who played here

Reviews

On a trip to Seattle for an Alaska cruise I was able to take a detour a hour south to Chambers Bay. I had heard that the 2015 US Open was going to be held their a year later and was very excited to get a chance to test it out before the pros. The course was built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and I bet no one could have imagined it would hold a major championship not even 10 years after the first round was played.
A perfect clear summer day in the Northwest, my wife walking beside me, no other golfers in sight, and playing an incredible golf course made my round at Chambers Bay one of my most memorable. The property was an old gravel quarry and plays as close to a true links course as you can get in the US.
Chambers Bay is a walking paradise and carts are not allowed unless a medical condition allows. One cut of grass greets you from the tee box to the hole but as seen on tv if you miss the fairway the rough will set you back multiple strokes.
It’s really difficult to name a favorite hole but my favorite is the par 4 10th appropriately names ‘High Dunes’. The greatness of this hole starts off with a decision while on the tee box. How far your willing to attack this hole with your first shot because the Dunes become narrow as they approach the green. While your standing between these massive dunes your second shot will need to be one of your best of the day.
In my opinion Chambers Bay is one of the best courses I’ve ever played. When Jordan Spieth held up that US Open trophy I felt like Chambers Bay presented a tough test for the best golfers in the world. I was disappointed hearing some of the reviews from that week but also glad they are addressing the greens as I write this review.
Also an added bonus is there are plans to build a hotel on the property that will benefit overnight golfers. With the same management team that runs Bandon Dunes you can only imagine that Chambers Bay will continue to be a top destination for any golfer looking to travel to the Northwest. I promise you won’t regret a round at Chambers Bay if your nearby and don’t pass up the opportunity based on what you saw on a television screen.

Much like the beloved links courses of Scotland and Ireland, Chambers Bay allows for creative shot making—particularly along the ground. Many holes invite players to choose among various routes from tee to green. Risk/reward opportunities abound, though wide fairways welcome all golfers to swing away. You can play more options at Chambers Bay than at the Chicago Futures Market.